


Strong Men are Made of Iron

by dreyrugr



Series: Made of Iron [1]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (TV) RPF
Genre: Civil War Team Iron Man, Gen, Howard Stark's A+ Parenting, Hurt Tony, Hurt/Comfort, Idiots in Love, M/M, Post-Captain America: Civil War (Movie), Protective Natasha Romanov, Steve Feels, Team as Family, Tony Feels, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, and so does steve, though no team cap bashing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-30
Updated: 2018-03-30
Packaged: 2019-04-16 00:06:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,636
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14152347
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dreyrugr/pseuds/dreyrugr
Summary: It's the first time Steve has seen Tony in over a year.Alternately,There's a special guest on Jimmy Fallon tonight, and he's about to blow off one Steve Roger's mind.





	Strong Men are Made of Iron

**Author's Note:**

> This was inspired by (1) Amanda Armstrong, Tony's biological mom in 616 comics, who is a BAMF woman who takes no shit and will dole out pain to anyone who threatens or insults her baby boy; (2) the song _Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want_ by The Smiths, which is a Tony Stark song through and through; (3) the Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon, to which I may or may not be addicted; and (4) the fact that two out of the three maternal figures in Tony's life have the voice of an angel.

Post-mission and post thirteen months after what has been dubbed by the media as the Avengers’ ‘Civil War,’ what has remained of the team is crowded around Barton’s TV. It’s safer here, in their own backyard, where the governments of the world would be least likely to search for them. Where it’s closer to Tony, should the man call. If he’ll ever call.

They’re watching one of the few channels they get signal for all the way out here in the middle of Nowhere, U.S.A., though none of them truly seem to mind anyway. It’s late, the last of NBC’s nightly news already over and gone.

“ _Has it started yet?_ ” Lila Barton’s voice resounds through the thin walls.

“No!” Clint shouts back. “And stop yelling, or you’ll wake up the small one!” No one bothers to point out the hypocrisy.

“ _Okay!_ ” she shouts back, and then her itty-bitty feet are thumping rapid-fire down the flight of stairs and across the room before she launches herself over the top of the couch. She lands on Clint’s lap, and his arms curl around her waist instinctively.

She wiggles around her makeshift chair, thrumming with energy. “It’s gonna start soon!”

Natasha rounds the corner from the kitchen, carrying bowls of popcorn. “What’s all the excitement about, _babochka_?” she says with a smile, settling down in the small space left between Clint and Sam.

“Jimmy Fallon, Auntie Nat!” Lila exclaims with an almost affronted look. “It’s the only show Mommy will let me watch past my bedtime.”

“It must be good, then,” Natasha replies. Steve knows that look―it’s the I’m Laughing at You Inside look she gets whenever he asks about something he doesn’t understand of this century.

Lila’s mouth opens to reply, but what comes next is a barely controlled squeak as the last of the commercials end and a jaunty introduction melody starts up. “It’s _starting_!”

Steve smiles at her as Sam turns to his way with a raised eyebrow. ‘ _I think my ear broke,_ ’ Sam mouths.

‘ _Old man ears,_ ’ he mouths back and then returns his attention to the screen to purposefully miss the subsequent, silent insults being thrown his way.

“― _in the heart of New York City, it’s the Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon…! And, now, here he is! Jimmy Fallon…!_ ”

“Ah, what!” Lila interrupts over the noise of the crowd, pointing at the screen. “They skipped over who’s gonna be on the show.”

“ _Hi, thank you, everybody! Welcome, welcome, welcome! Welcome to the Tonight Show. This is it; you’re here,_ ” the guy on screen says, pointing and clapping at the crowd. “ _I’m your host, Jimmy Fallon. I’m so excited, you guys. We have a very special show tonight. This whole week, we’ll be hosting a number of new and old guests alike, none of whom I will be aware of. That’s right―I will be entirely clueless as to who I will be hosting each night. The only one who happens to know who will be on the show each night is our very own Steve Higgins, who also happens to be the one in charge of coordinating this whole show for the next week._ ” The camera focuses on a different man standing behind a podium, who waves lazily. _“We just decided to take a break and leave it all up to one man to entertain the entire nation tonight.”_ The crowd laughs, and Lila giggles.

“ _So, here’s how we’ll play this. There will be an unknown man or woman―or dog or cat, who knows―who we will be hosting tonight. But! Each of these guests will be performing or telling us something cool or special that no one really knows about them. This is going to be the funnest ever, guys!_

 _So, here we go, onto our first guest, who I’ve been told has never been here before―!_ ”

The lights drop suddenly, enshrouding the stage in darkness and painting their living room in blue-black light. Lila’s eyes are huge, glued to the screen as they are, while Steve finds that Clint, Natasha, and Sam are watching with mild interest at best.

From the darkness, soft piano keys begin to play. The melody is slow, almost quiet.

Then, a voice begins:

“ _Good times for a change_ ,” it sings in a husky, sultry tone. The lines rises in pitch softly, staying in an almost whisper. It’s haunting. “ _See, the luck I’ve had_ ,” it continues, a quiet tremble to the voice, “ _could make a good man turn bad…_ ”

The line drifts off with the soft strokes of the piano.

“Is that…?” Natasha’s voice breaks the suddenly stunned silence.

“ _So_ ,” the voice pleads brokenly, thick with emotion, “ _please...please...please…lemme, lemme, lemme…_ ” The voice croons, and Steve realizes he’s hanging onto the last of the voice as it fades again. “ _Let me get what I want...this time._ ”

There’s a brief flit of piano keys. The spotlight begins to illuminate the lone figure before the black instrument.

And that’s when Steve sees the man’s face. The crowd follows his same thought, and they all go wild. There’s a faded Jimmy Fallon in the background, jumping in excitement and twirling like a little kid with both hands over his mouth. Lila is not faring much better.

“Holy shit!” Clint says simultaneously to Sam’s, “Mother _fucker_ ―” They’re sitting up straight, entranced and baffled.

Steve is frozen in place.

Within the deafening noise of the crowd, Tony Stark’s graceful figure stands and snatches up an acoustic guitar that had been leaning against the side of the piano.

And then Tony’s nimble fingers are strumming over the strings of the guitar, the melody at a much quicker tempo. He walks one foot in front of the other, a soft sway to his hips, towards the microphone stand before him. The spotlight follows, glinting off the edge of his blood-orange sunglasses.

 _“Haven’t had a dream in a long time_ ,” he croons, voice stronger yet somehow still haunting. “ _See, the life I’ve had could make a good man_ so bad _…_ ”

There’s something dirty in the way he says ‘ _so bad_ ’―Steve doesn’t think it helps that Tony says it with a flirtatious wink as the camera pans closer. His gaze flits across the televised Tony on the screen, studying the contrast of the red of Tony’s shirt collar against his tan skin, the perfectly trimmed shape of that beard. It’s only natural, from there, for Steve’s eyes to get stuck on the way Tony’s lips move with the song, partially covered by the round head of the microphone.

“ _So, for once in my life,_ ” his voice rises higher, closing his eyes as the song seems to sweep through him. The camera is close enough now to count the many lashes that cast faint, red-tinted shadows over his cheeks. “ _Let me get what I want. Lord knows it would be the first time…_ ”

The song begins to die down, the strumming of the guitar falling into quiet twinges. “ _Lord knows it would be the first time…_ ”

Unstrapped as the guitar was, Tony holds the instrument at his side like a stand-in person and takes a bow to the hoarsely screaming crowd.

“ _That was unbelievable! Amazing! That was―Oh, man, give it up for Tony Stark, the one and only Invincible Iron Man!”_ Fallon tries to speak over the crowd, jaunting quickly to meet Tony at the center of stage. They shake hands, Tony with an easy smile and Fallon ready to fall head over heels.

Someone in the crowd screams, “ _I love you, Tony!_ ”

Fallon directs Tony to their seats. The crowd has yet to settle down, until Fallon has to stand back up and motion for their containment.

“ _That was―that was_ phenomenal _! That is literally the best rendition of The Smiths I have ever heard,_ ” Fallon starts to praise, and the noise of the crowd escalates again. “ _Thank you for coming here and sharing that with us. This is―I think this is the best day of my life right now. Tony Stark is here, right now, on the Tonight Show for the first time_ ever _―and he knocked us all down with one of the most spectacular performances I’ve ever heard!_ ”

Tony grins. “ _I serve to please._ ”

“ _Is this―is it really your first time here on the Tonight Show? I feel like this is a gross oversight._ ”

“ _It’s a First Times Day for me. First time singing anywhere else other than from the safe confines of my workshop and first time sitting here next to you on this fine evening._ ”

Fallon leans back in his chair, hands braced on the edge of the desk. “ _No way. There’s no way that was your first time singing in front of a crowd._ ”

“ _I swear it on my armor._ ” He’s being cheeky, and the audience loves it.

“ _So, how long have you been playing? I can’t imagine you have a lot of free time in between_ saving the world” _―_ the crowd cheers―” _and revolutionizing the tech industry every other week. I saw the new line of prostheses you came out with; all of those people you’re helping―it’s, it’s really humbling to see that._ ”

The corner of Tony’s mouth twitches minutely, unrecognizable unless one is looking for it―and Steve is; he knows how uncomfortable Tony gets with genuine praise. “ _Well, I’m not the only one helping people out there. I eat your ice cream, Mister Fallon; I know where the profits go,_ ” he deflects easily, much to the joy of both Fallon and the crowd. “ _To answer your question: I’ve only played the piano a couple of times throughout my years―I used to have one sitting in my living room in my old house in Malibu until it died a horrible death at the bottom of the Pacific―and today was the second time I’ve ever picked up a guitar._ ”

Fallon is not the only one astounded by that titbit of information. That can’t be right. After several years living together, Steve thinks he would have noticed a talent like that. “ _Wait. Really? That looked like the work of hours of practice_.”

“ _Give or take two hours of practice―_ ”

“ _Two hours?!_ ” Fallon exclaims, hands raised above his head.

“ _Uh, yeah. Pepper―my CEO―she said it was perfectly normal. Though,_ ” he said, eyeing Fallon’s incredulous expression, “ _she might have said it with a sarcastic face; i wasn’t really paying attention._ ”

There was a situation like this long ago, Steve remembers, when they were all first aboard the helicarrier.

_“When did you become an expert in thermonuclear astrophysics?”_

_“Last night.”_

Tony had said it so flippantly that Steve had thought it arrogance, yet all it had been was a statement of fact. Steve rubs the side of his face, as if that would ease the fatigue of carrying a mountain of guilt. How many times did any one of the Avengers think Tony arrogant when the pure opposite was in play?

How many times had he wronged this man?

“ _Yes, Mister Stark, that’s perfectly normal,_ ” Fallon deadpans. “ _Are you kidding me?_ ” He springs from his chair, his hand presenting Tony’s confounded figure. “ _We just found ourselves a musical genius, everybody!_ ”

The audience goes wild again, loud drums thundering in the background.

“ _Please_ ,” Tony says, “ _it’s nothing like all that_.”

Fallon reclaims his seat, turning towards the band along the wall. “ _Questlove, tell it to him straight._ ”

The man in question nods sagely from behind a set of drums. “ _It’s true._ ”

“ _I’ll take your word for it, then,_ ” Tony replies, his smile almost strained. “ _But, if we’re really pointing fingers here, I’d blame it all on my heritage._ ”

That peaks Fallon’s interest. “ _Are you talking about your mom? I heard some rumors that she played and sang._ ”

There’s a fondness to Tony’s eyes at her mention. “ _That’s true. It’s pretty much all she did around the house, sometimes; it drove my dad nuts._ ”

“Sure,” Natasha mutters, just barely loud enough for Steve’s ears to pick up, “‘nuts.’” There’s a double entendre to her words―Steve doesn’t know if he wants to decipher what she means.

“ _But, uh,_ ” Tony continues, “ _not quite. Some things came to light recently over my parents._ ”

Steve’s blood freezes.

 _“―_ bullshit me _, Rogers. Did you know?”_

Sam’s leg nudges him. “Steve, man, _breathe_.”

“ _I did some digging and―lo and behold―apparently I’m not a full-fledged Stark. Turns out, forty-some years ago, my biological mom gave me up for adoption, and Howard Stark decided to pick me up as his Heir to the Throne, so to speak_.”

You could almost see the heartache in Fallon’s gaze. “ _That’s―wow, I can’t imagine what that’s like._ “

Steve tries to ignore the unbearable heat that comes to his eyes―god, what has he _done_ , he berates himself.

“ _Eh,_ ” Tony flaps a hand, “ _sh―t happens. I’m more grateful I was able to reconnect with my last known relative. Amanda Armstrong. British rockstar. Badass woman all around. You might have heard of her._ ”

“Is this a PR stunt?” Clint says. “‘Cause, if it is, this is some fucked up shit.”

“You really think anyone could have payed off Strong for something like that?” Natasha retorts, a thin-edge to her voice. “Much less, do you think Tony would have gone along with it, after everything that’s happened?”

“ _Amanda Armstrong as in Amanda Strong?_ ”

Lila, who had so far been utterly entranced by the goings-on up on screen, frowns between Clint and Natasha. “What happened to Uncle Tony?”

“ _Yeah_ ,” Tony says. There’s a careful smile on his lips. “ _I always thought I inherited my music acuity from Maria Stark, my step-mom, but I know now where it must have really come from_.”

“Why don’t you ask your Uncle Steve sometime?” Natasha says innocently. She’s staring daggers at Steve’s face. “I’m sure he’ll be happy to tell you.”

Steve stands firm under her stare, ignoring the prickle of tears―he deserves that. There’s no forgiveness for what’s he’s done to Tony Stark―there will never be any forgiveness for the lies he has told, the hypocrisy of his words in years past, the emotional and physical pain he has caused.

But he’ll be damned if he can’t give the man some ease of conscience, at the very least. There’s love for Tony in his heart still, despite their disagreements, even if he knows that it will never be reciprocated. He… _longs_ to give Tony what he wants. Everything Tony dreams of, everything he had sung for in his song in haunting, pain-wrought tones―he wants to give Tony _everything_ that the man would never allow himself to have.

“Having your whole world turned upside down again―in the span of a year―” Sam says. “Especially in the way he did...Stark is a tough son of a bitch, I’ll give him that.”

“‘ _Stark men are made of iron,’_ ” Clint reiterates. “I don’t think he’s ever heard of the term ‘give up.’”

“Technically,” Natasha says with an amused curl of the lips, “it’s ‘ _Strong men are made of iron._ ’ Fits better, don’t you think?”

“― _thank you so much for coming here tonight. Tony Stark, the invincible Iron Man, everybody! We’ll be back with our second guest after the break._ ”

Tony peace-signs out.

Steve tells himself that he’s not desperate enough to stalk the man on Google.

* * *

 

“―and his ass looked _fantastic_ in that grey suit,” Clint summarizes to Laura later that night, tucking in the corner of the blankets around Lila. “It’s those damn high heels he wears, I tell you.”

Laura bites her lip to hide her snickers. “I’m sure Steve was very pleased.”

“Laura, honey, his _face_ ―”

“ _I can still hear you, Barton!_ ” Steve’s voice floats from the floor below.

 

* * *

 

Steve falls asleep to a video of Tony at an MIT conference.

 

**Author's Note:**

> A bit salty there? Maybe. Probably.
> 
> It's been two years since CA:CW. I still have unresolved feels. I love you, Steve, but how could you ;-;
> 
>  
> 
> I will be continuing this plot line (if you could call it that) into a series. Peace out till then!
> 
> The following is a little extra for you dear readers! After Tony waves off 'the musical genius' claim, I was going to add this scene in there and expand it to include another section of Tony playing music. He'd claim that playing an instrument is just like fiddling around with a machine, something that he does every day of his life, and that music is just math anyway. I couldn't seem to fit the scene properly, though, so here it is:
> 
>  
> 
> “ _We should test it_ ,” another man suddenly interjects. The camera pans towards the man behind the podium. “ _It may or may not come as a recommendation from a very scary, very powerful woman_.”
> 
> The audience laughs.
> 
> Tony clearly hates the idea. “ _Pepper put you up to this, didn’t she_?” He turns to Fallon. “ _If I fail pathetically, I’m blaming it on Higgins over there_.”
> 
> Fallon laughs. “ _I’m sure we’ll keep that in mind. Uh, if we could have some suggestions, please―or, actually, guys_ ,” he addresses the band, “ _how should we do this_?”
> 
>  
> 
> Find me on tumblr [here](https://that616marvel.tumblr.com)!


End file.
